A FedEx driver making a delivery in Harvard last week was robbed in what police believe was a targeted attack. The robbery took place Thursday, Jan. 9, around midday. Four men suspected of the crime were arrested the following day in Rhode Island.
As the FedEx truck stopped in the driveway of a Stow Road home, a white, late-model Acura TLX pulled up behind it. Two masked men emerged from the car and forcefully took a large package from the FedEx driver. Although no weapon was shown, the driver said the suspects threatened him and implied they were armed. The driver was not injured. The homeowner later told police the package had contained a $1,900 Apple computer monitor.
Suspects rob a FedEx truck at a Stow Road residence on Thursday, Jan. 9. (Photo courtesy of Harvard Police)
The Acura had “very dark tinted windows and a Connecticut license plate bearing the partial letters ‘BN,’” according to the Harvard police, who learned the details from the FedEx driver and surveillance video. Police also suspected the vehicle was likely stolen, which proved to be correct.
Home security footage taken by a camera at the residence captured key moments of the brazen daylight theft. News of the robbery and the availability of live video drew the immediate attention of local and regional news organizations, including WBZ and the Boston Globe.
The homeowner, Angelica Morgado, told a WBZ reporter Thursday afternoon that she had seen the car at the foot of her driveway that morning as she took her children to school. She said when she returned home around noon, the car was still there. A neighbor also later reported seeing the car parked in the vicinity for several hours before the robbery.
Morgado was in her home at the time of the incident but did not witness it. “I am Brazilian and in Brazil this is common, but here, no,” Morgado told the WBZ reporter. “I thought here was safe, but now no more. It’s dangerous, too.”
The lengthy presence of the car led police to believe the crime was premeditated. “It is part of a larger criminal enterprise,” Police Chief James Babu wrote in a later email to the Press.
“Our initial investigation suggests that this incident involves a sophisticated system hack in which orders placed through a vendor are given legitimate FedEx tracking numbers, which are then intercepted by thieves,” Babu explained. “This type of theft has been increasingly prevalent across multiple states and is currently being investigated by numerous local, state, and federal agencies. … At present, the most effective way to avoid falling victim to this scheme is to make purchases directly from brick-and-mortar stores.”
Suspects arrested in Rhode Island
Friday morning Rhode Island state police reported the arrest of four suspects in the crime after a vehicle matching the Acura’s description crashed on Interstate 95 in Cranston, Rhode Island. A press release posted by the Rhode Island state police said the arrests resulted after troopers responded to a motor vehicle accident and subsequently apprehended the fleeing suspects. However, a news report on Boston’s WCVB said police were in pursuit of the car when it crashed.
All four suspects are in their 20s and come from the Bronx, New York. The four men were transported to the state police Lincoln Woods barracks in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Three were held there and appeared in Rhode Island’s 6th Division District Court Monday morning. They were initially charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and other offenses related to the crash. Bail for the driver of the car was set at $15,000; for the other two, bail was $6,000. Records do not indicate the proceedings against the fourth man, who was injured in the crash. A formal arraignment was scheduled for April 9.
Although the charges were filed in Rhode Island, Babu said the Harvard police remain actively involved in the case. “[O]ur investigation is ongoing as we work to gather sufficient evidence to file formal charges,” he wrote. “Once charges are brought, it will be up to the District Attorney’s Office to initiate the process of extraditing the suspects to Massachusetts to face prosecution.”
Babu emphasized the need for public awareness: “We encourage everyone to remain vigilant, be aware of their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity to the police immediately. Community awareness and cooperation are crucial in addressing this growing problem.”
